A grande dame of Washington, this beaux-arts landmark hotel was designed by Henry Hardenbergh, who also created New York's Plaza hotel and the Dakota apartments.
Dominating a prestigious corner at 14th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, this 12-story hotel has a long, distinguished history. "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" was penned here in 1861, and President Ulysses S. Grant's frequent visits to the Willard lobby for brandy and cigars introduced a new term to politics: Those who accosted him for favors became known as lobbyists.
Entered from Pennsylvania Avenue, the lobby overwhelms with busy beaux-arts decor, hand-set mosaic floors, coffered ceilings with the seals of every U.S. state, huge globe chandeliers and gold leaf. This building rivals the welcome of any of Europe's palace hotels, and the petal-shaped concierge desk is a special extravaganza.
The Willard Room is a magnet for gourmets, serving regional food amid elegant malachite columns and a carved ceiling in a baroque setting. The elaborate dinner menu is supplemented with affordable lunch specials that draw customers from the neighboring office towers.
The subdued Cafe 1401 has been replaced by the French-flavored Cafe de Parc. The distinguished Round Robin Bar has space for about a dozen people to sit around its circular counter and gaze at portraits of previous patrons, such as writers Charles Dickens, Mark Twain and Walt Whitman. A second cocktail lounge takes care of the overflow.
The gym is open 24 hours a day, but the hotel has neither a swimming pool nor whirlpool. That said, the second-floor spa with well-appointed treatment rooms offers a host of wellness programs. The ornate and historic conference space can handle 750 people, room service runs round the clock, and parking exacts high fees.
Individually designed guest rooms come in more than 100 different floor plans (some terribly cramped, others surprisingly spacious). The regularly maintained accommodations feature high ceilings, dark-stained period furniture, classic color schemes and traditional window treatments. High-speed Internet access, minibars, armoires, fresh flowers, dual-line phones, varied bed arrangements, irons and ironing boards, and marble-clad baths with hair dryers, magnifying mirros, scales, robes and vanities are standard.
The 17 business rooms are equipped with computers. Premium rooms come with desks, fax machines, copiers and office supplies. Several oval suites prove quite striking, with interesting marble designs. Head of State suites measure between 2,800 and 3,300 sq ft, while the new Honeymoon Suite is tucked into a private nook on the top floor.
Maintenance is excellent, and the constant renovations and improvements keep everything looking grand. Room 
service and special requests are answered around the clock. Pets are treated like royalty here. Many have leashes connected to blue-blooded masters.
The rooms are not designed to impress with high-tech styling (though they have expected conveniences), but to evoke an age of elegance, and they succeed on those terms. Compared with the competition in the neighborhood—JW Marriott and Grand Hyatt—this hotel is worth the uptick in the rates.
Frugal travelers get a snippet of similar style and considerably lower rates at the neighboring Hotel Washington, while demanding clients will be hard-pressed to find fault with the intimate, service-oriented Hay-Adams, adjacent the White House.
